Railroad-gate



UNITED STATES vPATENT OFFICE.

JNO. E. MCNAIR AND JNO. O. ELLIOTT, OF AUGUSTA COUNTY, VIRGINIA.

RAILROAD-GATE.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 29,186, dated July 17, 1860.

T o all whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN E. MCNAIR and JOHN C. ELLIOTT, of the county of Augusta, in the State of Virginia, have in.- Vented a new and useful Mode of Constructing and Arranging Gates or Stock-l `ences Across Railroad-Tracks; and we do hereby declarethat the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construct-ion and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawing, making a part of this specification, and to the letters of reference thereon.

rl`he drawing is a perspective view of an ordinary rail road track with our invention attached to and in connection therewith.

A, A, A, A, are four curved levers of any length or curvature to accomplish the end desired. Two of these levers are kept in position along the side of each of the opposite rails by fastenings which communicate with the sills, G, G, under the rails, and are held up to and along the side of the rail by four clips.

The letters F, F, F, F, designate the clips on the near rail as seen in the drawing. Four other similar clips on the opposite side of the track are concealed from view by the sill G, the rail H, and the levers A, A. These clips are fastened in a secure and substantial manner to the sills G, G, on which the rails H, H, rest.

As seen on the near side of the track in the drawing at a poin I, behind the gate post K, two of the levers A, A, overlap and are hinged or pinned together by a small rod or pin fastened to or passing through the sill or rail. A similar connection is formed between the other two levers A, A, on the opposite side of the track-the point of connection, I, being concealed by the rail and sill as seen in the drawing.

B, B, are two eccentrics or cranks connected with the levers A, A, on the near side of the track as seen in the drawing, by the connecting rods E, E. A similar arrangement exists on the opposite side of the track concealed from view in the drawing by the rail and sill.

The eccentrics or cranks B, B, are attached to and operate upon the shafts D, D, which pass entirely across the track and are attached to the sills G, G, at each extremity by boxes or other suitable arrangements. The shafts D, D, carry and operate upon the eccentrics or cranks B B which are attached to and operate upon the connecting rods L, L. The connecting rods L, L, at the other extremities of the same are attached to and operate upon the eccentrics or cranks B, B. The eccentrics or cranks B, B, are attached to or form parts of levers O, C. The eccentrics or cranks B B are supported by the shafts D', D', which pass across the track and are atached to the sills G, G, at each extremity by boxes or other suitable arrangements as was stated in regard to the shafts D, D.

M, M, are two bars of wood or other material attached at each extremity to the slides N, N, which slides N, N, are attached to and kept and guided in their positions on or in the posts K, K, by any device or arrangement suited to the purpose. The rods O, O, O, O H H pass through or are otherwise attached to the bars M, M, and are of the height required for the gate or stock fence across the track. The levers O, O, are attached to the bars M, M, by means of the yoke or stirrup, Q, which is fastened firmly to the bars M,

P, is a pit under the track planked or walled or otherwise secured which receives the gate when depressed.

R, R, are cords or pulley chains or other devices attached to the slides N, N, at one extremity and passing over the pulleys S, S, are attached at the other extremity to weights concealed and freely playing in the posts K, K.

The operation and action of the invention are as follows, to wit: The wheels of the engine or car as they approach the gate, either by a forward or reversed motion, will, at a point which will vary in distance from the gate, according to the height of the gate and the radius of the curves in the levers, A, A, run upon and press downward the curved levers A, A, the curved peripheries of which before touched by the wheels lie above the level of the iron rails H, H. The levers A, A, being by the weight of the car or engine wheels pressed downward, the connecting rods E, E, attached to the levers A, A, and also to the eccentrics B, B, act upon the eccentrics or cranks B, B; and the force so applied turns the shaft D, and likewise the eccentric or crank B, on said shaft D, which eccentric or crank B operates on the connecting rod L, and draws it in the direction of the arrow in the drawing. The connecting rod, L, in its turn operates upon the eccentric or crank B in such a manner as to depress the extremity of the lever G, at the vyoke or stirrup Q, so as to carry down the gate into the pit'P, belowV the level of the track. There the gate will remain until the last wheel of the last car of the train has passed of from the curve on the other side of the gate, at which time by means of the weights heretofore described as concealed and playing freely in the posts K, K, the gate is again brought to its former position.

We do not claim that a falling gate is new, hence we disclaim all other modes of lowering and raising the gate; but,

Having thus fully described our invenused substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

JOHN E. MCNAIR. JOHN C. ELLIOTT. Attest: l

ROBERT Gr. BICKLE, HUGH A. GLENN. 

